


Brave Corazón

by Mahkachan



Category: Coco (2017), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: Alola, Alola's the closest to Mexico I could find, F/M, How do you Spanish, Kind of complicated plot, Miguel and Coco are siblings, Pokemon AU, Pokemon Journey, Pokémon/Coco crossover because why not, and Imelda's their mom, sun and moon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-09
Updated: 2018-01-13
Packaged: 2019-03-02 22:01:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,934
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13327254
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mahkachan/pseuds/Mahkachan
Summary: Miguel Rivera had always dreamed of completing the Island Challenge to become closer to his idol, Ernesto de la Cruz. After the man's disappearance, he gets a chance to do the challenge and discover the mystery behind his father's disappearance. Alongside his sister, Coco, he travels throughout Alola to meet new friends and enemies.And he will seize his moment to become the greatest trainer to ever grace Alola.





	1. Seize your moment

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys OwO this is my first ever Pokémon fanfic as well as my first ever Coco fanfic! I simply LOVE the movie Coco, it's so breathtaking. And let me tell you, I've watched it three times already! I just had this idea last night so instead of sleeping I wrote it. I hope you all like it, and trust me when I say there's more to the plot than just "they go on adventure to capture pokémon blah blah blah". Well, enough of this, let's get started! I think this is the first time I publish a fanfic about pokémon as well :P so you can say I lost my pokefic virginity.

_“A Rivera is a shoemaker, through and through.”_

 

That was their family’s motto. And yet, despite being incredibly proud of their mother for picking herself up and finding a way to provide for their family, Miguel hated being a shoemaker. He sometimes wondered if his life would’ve been different if his mother had chosen a different path, or if their father hadn’t walked out on them. His story hadn’t started out happily. His mother, Imelda Rivera, was married to their father, a great musician, before he one day left for a tour and never came back, essentially abandoning his heavily pregnant wife and four-year-old daughter, Socorro Rivera, nicknamed Coco for those who knew her well. Miguel had never met his father. He’d never held a grudge against the man like his mother, or held precious memories of him like his sister, so he didn’t know how to feel about him or anything remotely related to him. He didn’t even know his _name_ , a basic piece of information, for his mother refused to utter it. He only knew a few things about the man because Coco told them during their errands. She told him how their father was a musician and how he always played a song for her called “Remember Me”.

“I wish you were there, Miguel. He would’ve sung it for you too, I’m sure!” Coco said as she took a bite from her malasada, reminding Miguel of his own malasada which remained uneaten. “Don’t tell mama I told you that, though.” He nodded, looking at the treat in his hands. He knew that, after what had happened with their father, their mom permanently banned music from their household— as well as any mention from the man that had been their father —, which had been a hard task since the region they lived in, Alola, was bathed in music from festivals and parties every day. The inhabitants, just like Miguel and Coco, loved music.

“Hey, Coco,” he called as they headed towards the market in Melemele. They still needed to buy more leather and fruit like their mother asked. His sister turned to him. “Do you think mama will let me do the Island Challenge one day?” It had always been a dream of his. Ever since his childhood hero, Ernesto de la Cruz, who was also from Melemele, completed the Island Challenge and became famous for breaking the record for being the fastest trainer to complete said challenge, Miguel decided he wanted to become a trainer himself to complete the challenge and maybe meet Ernesto, but the man mysteriously disappeared before he became ten-years-old.

“Don’t you need a Pokémon for that, _hermanito_?” Coco asked him.

“I guess you’re right…” He paused for a second as they saw the market from afar. He needed a Pokémon to join, didn’t he? Would the Kahuna give him one? Maybe he could try and ask Professor Kukui to check, but… Would his _mother_ allow that? The family motto— _“a Rivera is a shoemaker, through and through”_ —echoed in his head. No, it was very unlikely for her to allow such a thing. He could still dream, right? Suddenly Coco stilled.

“Did you hear that?” she asked him, a sense of urgency filling her voice.

Miguel was going to respond before he heard a small whimper coming from behind him. Spinning on his heels, his eyes landed on a rather large bush, but his interest lied on what was beneath it. As he and Coco slowly walked forward, afraid of startling whatever Pokémon was hiding beneath the leaves, they exchanged glances, wondering what they should do. If there was a Pokémon there, what would happen? Would it attack them? Would it just stay? Was it hurt? Why was it whimpering? Did it need help? Would they be able to help it? They had so many questions… When the whimpers got louder, they quickened their pace and silently peeked under the bush. There, filled with scratches from head to toe, lied an unconscious Rockruff. Its blue fur was disheveled and covered in dirt and leaves, and it appeared to be in a very bad shape overall. Miguel crouched down to analyze the damage before turning to Coco and saying, “We need to take it to a Pokémon Center _now_!” She nodded hastily, understanding how urgent their situation was.

“Let’s take it there, then!” Miguel picked the poor Rockruff up and gave his sister the rest of his malasada before taking off to the nearest Pokémon Center in town. He almost tripped twice, but managed not to fall while holding the whimpering dog Pokémon. The rocks in its neck were pressing against his stomach, and they hurt, but he managed not to show it. He had more pressing matters to attend to. At some point during their sprint the Rockruff opened its green eyes to stare at the boy that was running for his life, but ended up blacking out again. Once the two reached the Pokémon Center in Hau’oli City, they barged in without a second thought, making a beeline to the closest nurse.

“Excuse me, this Pokémon is badly hurt!” Miguel told Nurse Joy, who took the fainted Rockruff in her own arms. “Please take care of it.” She nodded, understanding how nervous the boy and his sister were.

“We’ll do everything in our power to help your Pokémon.” And, with that said, she was gone, followed dutifully by a Chansey. _Your Pokémon_ … The words echoed in Miguel’s head, and he couldn’t shake them off. The words filled him with a new sensation, something warm and fuzzy, and he liked it. Ernesto de la Cruz’s catchphrase echoes in his head. _“Seize your moment,”_ he once said. If Miguel wanted to seize his moment, he had to complete the Island Challenge. He _had to_. How, though, if he had no Pokémon to battle with?

“Are you okay, hermanito?” Coco asked him, sensing his distress.

“Coco, call me crazy but I want to do the Island Challenge,” he told her without thinking twice. She chuckled at the statement.

“I thought you would, Miguel.” She took a bite out of her brother’s malasada, knowing he wasn’t in the mood for eating at the moment. “Maybe we can ask Kahuna Hala for a starter tomorrow, but you know you’ll have a hard time convincing mama to let you go on a journey.” Miguel sighed, rubbing his eyes tiredly. His mother had always been the main obstacle between him and his dream of completing the challenge to become closer to his idol, Ernesto de la Cruz. She had always insisted in locking him inside the house for his own good, because, apparently, nothing mattered as much as family, and the world out there was dangerous. She hadn’t even let him get a Pokémon for protection, seeing as they already had _Pepita_ , their mother’s strong— but at the same time extremely docile —Salamence, and she saw no need for another Pokémon. In fact, she thought that giving Miguel a Pokémon would fuel his need to travel far away, away from her and Coco.

And she was absolutely right.

“Then I won’t give up!” he finally and suddenly proclaimed, hitting a fist on his open hand. Determination filled his heart as he smiled. “I’ll keep asking until she says yes!” Coco giggled, taking another bite out of the malasada her brother had given her. Despite having known him for eleven years, Miguel continued being unpredictable as he had always been.

“I admire your enthusiasm, hermanito.”

 

The air was heavy.

Coco had already finished the malasada and was sitting back while they waited for news on how Rockruff was doing. It had been fifteen minutes since they first stepped inside the Pokémon Center and Nurse Joy still hadn’t come out of the room to tell them anything, not even once. They were starting to worry about the poor Pokémon’s health. Would it be okay? And who would’ve dared harm such an innocent creature? Most of Alola’s inhabitants were peaceful and would never maliciously hurt anyone, human or Pokémon. They, of course, still battled against each other as it was a tradition in all islands and regions, but nobody would intentionally harm a Pokémon simply because they could, would they? That seemed impossible, or at least _improbable_. So who would’ve done that? Miguel didn’t want to stir any trouble— his mama would never forgive him if he did —, so perhaps he shouldn’t go around looking for the little troublemaker who hurt Rockruff, even if he really wanted to do it.

“Ah, there you are!” Nurse Joy exclaimed as she walked up to the two siblings. “Your Rockruff is stable and out of danger. You may visit him if you like.” Miguel let out a breath he didn’t know he had been holding. They hastily stood up and followed the nurse towards the room she had just come out of. There, in a bed, lied Rockruff, completely awake and seemingly well. He barked cheerfully when he spotted the siblings. “He seems grateful,” Nurse Joy commented with a smile on her lips. Miguel walked up to the rock-type who immediately tried to jump on him.

“Hehe, it’s okay! Calm down!” he said as Rockruff attacked him with his tongue.

“I think he likes you, hermanito,” Coco piped up, grinning as she watched the dog Pokémon lick her brother relentlessly.

“Can we take him out already?” Miguel asked the nurse, who nodded.

“The Rockruff is stable and healthy enough,” she informed him in return. “Please take care of him.” And with that said, she left the room. The boy took the dog in his arms and walked up to his sister.

“Vámonos, Coco; let’s take him out of here.” Coco nodded, and the two walked out of the Pokémon Center smiling and with a new friend in tow. As they left, however, Miguel’s smile left his mouth as he realized he would have to say goodbye to his new friend. The Rockruff barked happily, standing on his hind legs to try and become taller. Miguel smiled for half a second before his expression became somber again. He had barely met the Pokémon and he was already attached. His mother would never allow this. He had to say goodbye now. “Well, it was nice to meet you, boy. Now off you go.” The Rockruff tilted his head in confusion. What did the human mean by that? Did he not want him to go with them? He jumped up again, trying to reach the human’s face to lick it. Miguel bit his lip. This was going to be harder than he thought.

“Hey, cousins!”

Miguel and Coco spun on their heels, immediately recognizing the owner of that voice. “Professor Kukui!” they exclaimed in unison. The professor smiled as he walked up to them with his hands on his hips.

“Ah, you two got a new Pokémon, cousins? That’s awesome! And it’s a shiny, too!” Miguel sighed as he looked down at the Rockruff jumping up and down, trying to get his attention and love.

“Not really,” he murmured sheepishly, rubbing his arm awkwardly. “He was hurt, so we took him to the Pokémon Center, but now he wants to go with us.” Kukui nodded, understanding their predicament. He looked at the Rockruff, who barked in response to being stared at, and tried once again to get Miguel’s attention. He put a hand on his chin, thinking.

“Well, it certainly doesn’t seem like it wants to part ways with you two.” Kukui’s hand dove inside his coat’s pocket and he pulled out a pokéball. He then handed said pokéball to Miguel. “It seems like it wants to join you, cousin. Go on. See if it wants to be part of your _familia_.” _Be part of mi familia…_ Miguel stared at the pokéball in his hands in confusion. Was Professor Kukui suggesting he capture Rockruff? Would Rockruff even want to go with him? He had so many questions. “It’s ok. Go on,” Kukui encouraged, and Miguel looked at the dog Pokémon again. His tongue was out, and he was barking and jumping madly as he spotted the pokéball in the boy’s hands. Said boy exchanged glares with his sister, who simply nodded at him with a smile, as if telling him that this was what he needed to do. He stared at the pokéball once more before sighing and crouching down.

“Hey, boy,” he said, petting the Rockruff’s head, and the rock-type barked in return. “Do you want to join me?” He presented the pokéball, wondering if that was what the dog wanted. The Rockruff jumped up and down before pressing his nose against the pokéball’s button and entering inside. Miguel’s eyes widened as the ball shook.

It shook one time…

It shook two times…

It shook _three_ times…

_… Click._

“I caught him,” Miguel told the others out loud in disbelief. Kukui cheered, and Coco giggled happily. “I caught him!” Miguel repeated, louder this time. He stared at the pokéball in his hands with a face-splitting smile, not believing in what had just happened. He had a Pokémon! After years of begging his mother for one, he finally had a Pokémon! “I’m naming you…” He needed a nickname. Miguel thought about a good one for a moment. “… Dante! Su nombre será _Dante_!” Coco approached her brother and put a hand on his shoulder.

“Dante’s a great nickname, hermanito,” she commented.

“Coco, I have a Pokémon! I actually have a Pokémon!” he replied, feeling like he could explode at any second. Miguel then turned to Professor Kukui, pressing the pokéball against his chest. “ _Muchas gracias_ , professor! I don’t know how I can repay you!” Kukui shook his head.

“No need, cousin. I’m happy to help.” He paused for a brief moment. “Hey, you could totally join the Island Challenge now that you have a Pokémon! What do you say?” Miguel was going to answer when he remembered his mother’s words and how she had responded negatively to the idea of her son travelling to the other islands, far away from her and Coco. She would _never_ allow him to join the Island Challenge. She hadn’t even allowed him to have a Pokémon! How would she respond to Dante’s existence now that he became Miguel’s first— and possibly last —Pokémon? Would Dante get along with Pepita? Despite being docile, she could be very intimidating.

“I don’t know if mama would let me…”

“Well, if your mom ever changes her mind you can go to my house and I’ll give you a Pokédex, the amulet, and a z-ring bracelet. See you, cousins!” He waved goodbye and started walking towards Iki Town. Miguel looked at the pokéball in his hands one more time before letting Dante out. The Rockruff looked around, disoriented, before spotting his trainer and barking happily.

“How do you think mama’s going to react?” Coco asked her brother. Miguel let Dante lick his face one more time before responding.

“Poorly.”

 

“What is the meaning of _this_?!”

“I told you,” Miguel murmured to his sister before looking into Imelda’s intimidating eyes. “Uh, mama, this is my, um, Pokémon, Dante…” He tried to keep his voice at a reasonable level, but he was way too nervous for that. Dante barked happily in Miguel’s arms, trying desperately to run towards the matriarch of the Rivera family. Imelda had her arms crossed and an eyebrow raised as she analyzed the rock-type from head to toe. “He was hurt, mama! We found him on our way to the mercado and then we took him to the Pokémon Center, but he wouldn’t stop following me! Professor Kukui gave me a pokéball and we captured him so now he’s my Pokémon.” He took a deep breath after the explanation. That had been a mouthful. Imelda narrowed her eyes as she judged the small blue Pokémon harder like he had committed the worst of sins. And, in her mind, he had. He was giving her son hopes of travelling through Alola’s other islands to complete the Island Challenge.

This wasn’t good.

“You have to get rid of this Pokémon.”

“But mama—”

“No buts.”

Miguel sighed.

“I won’t do the Island Challenge, mama, I promise. But please let Dante stay!” he begged. Dante licked his chin and the boy’s heart melted. His mom had to let Dante stay. He couldn’t handle letting the Pokémon go, especially now that they were so close. And what if the person that had done that to him was still out there? He couldn’t risk it. He had to convince Imelda to let Dante stay, even if that meant giving up on the Island Challenge for good. Perhaps his mother was right. Nothing was more important than family, and, right now, Dante was part of his family. His mother stared for a second before sighing in defeat.

“Alright, but _no Island Challenge_!” she explained. Miguel nodded quickly, almost getting whiplash. A few days ago he would’ve bitterly accepted her conditions, but he was now happy to accept them if it meant he could keep Dante.

“Yes, mama, I promise!” She huffed.

“Good, now where’s the leather I asked you two to buy?” Coco and Miguel exchanged stares.

“Uh…”

 

“It was very brave of you to give up on the Island Challenge for Dante, hermanito,” Coco told her brother as she stared out at the starry sky from her window whilst singing “Remember Me” under her breath. Miguel was petting Dante, the newest addition to their family. He nodded in agreement.

“I know, but I don’t want to lose him,” he responded. “I’ll do whatever it takes to keep him, even if it means giving up on the Island Challenge.”

“It’s always been your dream, though. Don’t you feel bad?”

“Un poco, yes,” he admitted, and let out a giggle when Dante licked his face again. The dog seemed very fond of him already, which was proven by the fact that he had accepted coming with him in a pokéball, giving up his freedom for good. “But I think it’s worth it.” He stood up and joined her near the window, staring out at the sky. “But one day I’ll do it. One day I’ll battle my way through the Island Challenge with Dante and we’ll complete it like Ernesto de la Cruz.” He smiled. Coco grinned as well as the two of them sat in complete silence for a few moments, save for Dante’s occasional barks. Miguel leaned against the window as he watched the sky’s stars shine as bright as his dream. Yes, he would never give up, no matter what his mother said.

“I’ll seize my moment.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked it! Leave thoughts for the next chapter (although I have a good idea on what will happen next)! And yes, I gave Miguel a shiny pokémon. My baby deserves the best. And we'll have more of Pepita as well! She's such a sweetheart.


	2. A chance in a million

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, second chapter~
> 
> I want to thank everyone for being there for me OwO I sure hope you like this chapter as well! It's much longer than last chapter and you'll be a little surprised! Or so I hope. Well, on with the chapter~

“Miguel, cálmate!”

“Come on, Coco, you’re way too slow!”

Dante barked in agreement, making Miguel chuckle. The boy couldn’t stop smiling. He was heading towards the Ruins of Conflict to check out the guardian of their island, Tapu Koko, a mighty spirit that was destined to protect them. Despite having seen the deity flying around many times before, looking over the island of Melemele and guarding its inhabitants, he still felt the need to see it face-to-face. He’d had a dream where he actually encountered Tapu Koko itself and it was like the deity was calling to him. What for, however, he didn’t know. All he knew was that he needed to head towards the Ruins of Conflict and check it out as soon as possible, even though he had never gone there before. He had dared escape from his mother’s house for that, something he would never do in normal circumstances. Coco, his extremely patient and long-suffering sister, worried for her brother’s well-being and sanity, decided to go with him, but was barely able to keep up. And despite that, Miguel kept running.

“Come on, we’re almost… there…”

He paused.

There was someone at the end of Mahalo Trail’s bridge.

The stranger turned to the siblings, who stood there helplessly, not knowing what to do, and she begged, “H-help! Save Nebby!” Her hands curled into fists as she clung to her purse, staring at the creature she’d called Nebby in fear. Miguel looked behind her, where a strange and mysterious Pokémon lied, curled up in a tiny ball, trying its hardest to disappear or perhaps teleport to a different place. Three Spearow stood above it, preparing their beaks and talons to tear their target apart. They looked vicious. “Those Spearow are attacking it! But… But I’m too afraid to go out there… My legs feel like they might give out…” Coco approached her younger brother with wide eyes, taking a deep breath to recompose. She had just run about a mile and a half, after all.

“Miguel, you can’t possibly—”

“I’m going,” he decided. Coco sighed.

“Amazing,” she commented, voice dripping with sarcasm, as she eyed the bridge. It didn’t seem safe. Far from it, in fact; no one should cross that thing. “Be careful, then, hermanito.” Miguel nodded as the blonde girl stepped aside to let him pass. His first step on the bridge was met with a creak from said bridge, and the second one almost made him lose his balance as the wood planks under him just barely succumbed to his weight. That was definitely not going to be easy.

“I’m okay!” Miguel assured the others. “… For now…” he then murmured, hoping they hadn’t heard him. As he tried to keep the bridge intact, he slowly approached Nebby, and when he finally reached it, he didn’t know what to do. So, instead of being reasonable and pulling the Pokémon to safety, he crouched down and used his own body as a shield. Nebby shivered under him, not wanting to become Spearow food. Miguel looked up for half a second before his eye was almost ripped out by one of the Spearow, and so he stayed down. What would he do now? The Spearow were too close. He wouldn’t be able to just stand up and walk away. God, what a terrible plan that was… He could still hear the Spearow as they tried to rip the two of them apart.

As it shook in fear, Nebby’s body began to glow in a baby blue color. Miguel noticed it way too late. As soon as he realized what was happening, the bridge was no longer there and he was falling to his death. He clung to Nebby, unable to do anything but scream and pray for a miracle. “Miguel!” Coco yelled as her soul was consumed by fear, and the other girl stared wordlessly and with wide eyes. She, too, was scared for both of them. When they thought everything was lost and that was the end, a yellow and black creature fell from the sky and dove down where the boy and the Pokémon were, simultaneously shocking away the Spearow that stood in a circle above them, and caught the two. It flew above and put them down to safety, and it stared at Miguel in the eyes for a second that seemed to last an entire hour, before crying out and flying far away again. “Oh my God…” Coco murmured as she put a hand on her chest right where her heart was. “You almost killed me, hermanito.”

“Sorry, hermana,” Miguel replied in embarrassment as he grinned. “I didn’t think it was going to do _that_.”

“Oh, thank goodness,” the stranger whispered as she let out a sigh of relief, and then gave Nebby a sheepish but at the same time stern look. “You tried using your power again, didn’t you? Oh, Nebby. You know what happened last time you used it. You couldn’t move for ages after that.” She sighed again and shook her head. “No, I shouldn’t say that… I’m sorry, Nebby. I know you were trying to save me that time… and I couldn’t even help you in return.” She turned to Miguel. “Thank you for saving Nebby. I am very grateful for what you’ve done.”

“It’s ok, really,” Miguel said. “I almost died. It was increíble. _And_ I was saved by Tapu Koko. That’s, like, a bonus.”

“You really don’t change, do you?” Coco asked with a smile.

“Nope.”

The stranger smiled as well. “My name is Lillie and this is Nebby. Please, you two… don’t tell anyone about this… about seeing Nebby... I-It’s a secret, okay?” Nebby cheered and rubbed its body against Miguel’s leg in happiness. “Oh, I think it likes you.” Miguel smiled and nodded. It seemed like he was starting to become a Pokémon magnet. Dante barked at Nebby and the two started playing. The Rockruff rolled around and even tripped on the air itself but he kept playing with his new friend despite that like nothing had happened.

“Hi, little guy,” he cooed before turning to Lillie. “I’m Miguel and this is my sister Coco, and that’s Dante.” Coco nodded at her and Dante barked happily, wagging his tail.

“It’s nice to meet you.”

“Ah, you too… What… What is that?” Lillie asked as she turned to Nebby who was staring at something on the floor. Said thing was glowing brightly against the dirt of the ground, and thus it stood out. She crouched down and touched the object. “A sparkling… stone? It feels almost warm somehow…” She grabbed the stone and eyed it for a second before offering it to Miguel, who accepted it in confusion. “I think this stone must belong to you.” The boy eyed the stone for a second. Did that really belong to him? The only possible explanation was that it must’ve been left there by Tapu Koko. He really had a feeling he would encounter the deity eventually, but he didn’t think it’d be like this. That was not how his dream went. Still, he didn’t have hopes of seeing the Tapu in the first place, so he could say that reunion went better than he had planned. Lillie looked at Nebby and said, “Come on, Nebby; back in the bag.” Nebby protested a bit, wanting to play more with its new friend, Dante, but Lillie insisted and so it went. It took only a few minutes before it was back inside the bag like she wanted.

Lillie began to walk away as Miguel put the stone on his jacket’s left pocket, but she stopped and turned to him again. “Um, I’m worried we might get attacked again by some wild Pokémon or… or something… I know it’s too much for me to ask it, but… Do you think you could see us back in town?”

“Oh, of course, I’d be glad! Come on, Dante, let’s go!” Dante barked joyfully as he joined his trainer and his sister as they walked back to Iki Town with a new friend, Lillie.

 

As they walked back to Iki Town, Miguel spotted Kukui waving at them.

“Hey, Miguel, Lillie, Coco!” he called. The three walked up to him and he grinned. “Looks like you already met, but just in case, this is my assistant!” Miguel didn’t know the professor had an assistant. That was interesting. “And, Lillie, these here are Miguel and Coco. They’ve lived in Alola since forever!” How had they not met yet? Perhaps Lillie didn’t go out as much as they did, which was evident in her pale skin— the sun in Alola was capable of giving everyone a tan, after all —and shy stance, indicating she didn’t seem very friendly and open towards strangers like the others in Melemele were. Lillie nodded and bowed rapidly before speaking.

“So you’re also one of the professor’s acquaintances?” she asked him, not waiting for a reply before continuing. “It’s nice to meet you…”

At the entrance of Iki Town, three people gathered around to celebrate Hala’s return. They cheered and one of the men said, “The Kahuna is back!”

“Kahuna Hala has returned!”

“Our guardian’s chosen one is back!”

Hala walked towards them before stopping at the entrance and looking at Kukui and the three children. He could sense their agitation like a hawk senses its next prey. “Have I missed something?” Kukui grinned and shook his head. Miguel watched. He’d never been very close to Hala and had never actually spoken to him before. That was why he’d been so hesitant on asking for a starter, besides his mother and her wrath of a thousand suns, but now that he had Dante he no longer needed a starter after all. It seemed like one less problem to worry about.

“Nah, but where did you go off to, Kahuna? I thought we were meeting here.”

“I am Kahuna of this island, after all,” Hala explained. “Whenever there is a problem on the island, it is my duty to resolve it.” He coughed and cleared his throat. “Sorry, Lillie, what were you saying before? For some reason I thought I saw Tapu Koko flying about…” Lillie nodded.

“Oh, um… Yes, Kahuna Hala. Nebby was being attacked by Spearow on the Plank Bridge when this boy helped it get away…” She cringed at the memories. The feeling of almost losing a young boy and Nebby made her feel awful on the inside. She could feel the butterflies in her stomach flying away just thinking about what would’ve happened if Tapu Koko hadn’t saved them in time. “But the bridge collapsed, and I thought both of them might fall to the bottom of the ravine, and that was when the island’s guardian deity swooped in to save them!”

“Woo! That’s something you don’t hear every day!” Kukui exclaimed.

“Ho! Although it is said to protect us, our Tapu Koko is a rather fickle creature. Yet our guardian was moved to save you. Kukui, my boy, I think we have a cause to celebrate! It seems I should entrust this brave and kind boy with a Pokémon of his own. We’ll make a fine trainer out of him.” Miguel’s eyes widened as soon as the word ‘Pokémon’ left Hala’s mouth. He immediately stepped in.

“Ah, t-there’s no need, really! I already have a Pokémon.” He picked Dante up and the Rockruff barked madly at the Kahuna, demanding attention. “This is my Pokémon, Dante. I met him yesterday!” Hala nodded as he petted Dante, who seemed pleased with the attention he was getting.

“It’s nice to meet you, Dante. Well, it seems like you have no need for a starter, but what about you, young lady?” He turned to Coco.

“Huh? Me?” she asked, pointing to herself. “Oh, no, I can’t really accept…”

“Well, you seem deserving of a starter, I can say this much! Although you might want to forgive me; my eyes don’t work as well as they used to,” he joked, and was met with a few chuckles. Hala reached for his belt and grabbed three ordinary pokéballs. “Come, my Pokémon! Let’s have a look at you!” He threw the three pokéballs in the air and out of them burst three Pokémon that landed on the stage in front of them. There was an owl Pokémon, a cat Pokémon, and a seal Pokémon. Miguel eyed all three of them in curiosity. He’d never seen those Pokémon before. Were they the starters Coco was talking about? He felt slightly jealous of his sister right now, because she was going to choose from those three and pick one of them, despite her protests. He knew she was going to. She _had_ to. They could convince their mom, after all. If he had convinced her to let Dante stay, he could convince her to let one of those starters stay as well. Coco shifted as Hala began his explanation on the starters. “First is the grass-type Pokémon, Rowlet.” The owl, Rowlet, cried out in happiness as it flapped its wings for half a second and spun around in a small circle. “Next is the fire-type Pokémon, Litten.” Litten mewled and jumped slightly, wagging its tail. “And last is the water-type Pokémon, Popplio.” Popplio cried out and jumped as well, smiling at the humans in front of it.

Hala turned to Coco. “Which Pokémon will you choose as your partner?” The girl whined as she stared at the three adorable starters in indecision.

“Can’t I choose all of them?” she asked. Hala laughed.

“I wish I could give the three of them to you, little girl, but that’s impossible. You’ll have to choose one.” Coco stared at the three starters again, panic rising in her chest, as she took a deep breath.

“I choose Rowlet.” Hala nodded.

“Ah, good choice! But only when you have both chosen each other can you truly call each other partners.” Coco walked up to the stage and stood on its end, while Hala put Rowlet on the other end of the stage. Coco waited nervously for Rowlet’s decision. Would it accept her? Would it not? The possibilities were endless. The rowlet looked around for a while, letting out a feeble cry, and then stared at its trainer-to-be, wondering what it should do. After about five seconds of indecision, it smiled and flew to Coco, flapping its wings. With a smile, the girl picked up the grass-type and lifted it up in happiness. Rowlet had chosen her! She couldn’t believe it. Lillie, Miguel, and Kukui walked to the stage with smiles on their faces to greet their new companion.

“Nice to meet you, Rowlet!” Lillie greeted, and Nebby agreed. The blonde looked at it in surprise. “Oh! When did you get out again? I know that Kahuna Hala and the professor will keep you safe from any harm, but you should still stay in the bag and out of sight. It’s safer that way.” She turned to Coco, who was proudly pressing her new Pokémon against her chest in what could only be described as pure and unadulterated happiness. “I think you chose a wonderful Pokémon. Please take very good care of it.”

“You bet I will,” Coco replied with a smile. “I think she’s a female. I’ll call her, uh… Rosita! Rosita’s a perfect name.”

“That’s it, guys. Now that you two both have Pokémon, you’re real Pokémon trainers, yeah! And here’s a gift to make it special, cousins!” He grabbed something from his pocket and handed it to Miguel. He eyed the strangely-shaped red item in confusion. “It’s a Pokédex! A Pokédex is real high-tech kinda tool, yeah, that can automatically record facts about any Pokémon that you meet. Your new partner Rowlet is already registered, oh yeah, so check it out! Since I only had one I thought you two could share it.” He gave them two notebook-looking items. “And those are two Trainer Passports I had put together for you.” Miguel gave the Pokédex and the notebooks to his sister, who put them in her purse. He looked at Coco. “Now why don’t you go and introduce your new friend to your mom, Coco?” The siblings paused and exchanged worried glances. They had completely forgotten about their mom.

“Mama will be so angry.”

“Why?” Lillie asked.

“She doesn’t really want us having Pokémon or going on adventures. She wants us to be together.”

“O-oh…” That was the short, uninteresting answer. Lillie stopped for a second before continuing, “But you don’t need to go on an adventure to have a Pokémon, right? You could stay here and take care of Rowlet, couldn’t you?” Coco bit her lip. She pondered about that question for a while. Did she want to go on an adventure? That had always been Miguel’s dream, although she couldn’t help but admit she’s always wanted to explore the other islands as well. She wondered what she would encounter if she did. She pressed Rowlet harder against her chest, and the owl Pokémon looked up to her in confusion. He could feel her hesitation, as, despite having only known each other for minutes, they were bonded.

“I suppose…” The girl looked at her brother with a small smile on her features. “Come on, hermanito, let’s go.”

“I’m sure mama will let you keep Rosita. We’ll just have to convince her like we convinced her to keep Dante.” Dante barked in agreement, not noticing the stairs in front of him and rolling down them as a result. Miguel gasped and ran down the stairs to check on his Pokémon, but Dante remained unharmed. “Dante’s probably a steel-type, I’m telling you.” He giggled when the dog suddenly started licking him. “Hey, stop that! Ew, Dante!” Coco giggled as well as she descended the stairs with Rowlet on her shoulder. She looked up as a boy approached them and looked at Miguel.

“Hey! Miguel, you got a Pokémon? That’s so cool! Why didn’t you tell me? Let’s have a Pokémon battle!” Hala laughed as he descended the stairs and walked to his grandson’s side.

“Where’s the fire, boy? And what kind of a Pokémon battle would that be where you don’t even give a name first, eh?” Miguel shook his head.

“It’s ok, I know him!”

“Oh, you two know each other? What a surprise!” Hala exclaimed. “Then will you accept his request for a battle? That will definitely be interesting.” Miguel thought about the offer for a second. That was going to be his first Pokémon battle ever. He had watched a lot of Pokémon battles on the television, as well as in real life, but he himself had never battled for he never had a Pokémon until Dante came along. Should he accept? Would he win or lose? He had so many questions, but snapped out of his line of thought to stand up and give Hau, the boy who’d proposed a battle, a look of sheer determination. This was their first battle and he was going to win no matter what.

“I’ll accept it!” He walked back to give himself and Hau some distance, Dante running to his side. He crouched down and patted the Rockruff in the head. “Hey, boy, let’s give our best shot, okay?” Dante barked and licked his chin before turning to Hau. “Alright, we’re ready!”

“I don’t really like to see Pokémon battles where Pokémon can get hurt…” Lillie murmured, shaking her head. Nebby cried out from inside the bag. “… But I’ll watch for you.” Kukui put his hands on his hips.

“Oh yeah, your first battle already! Just have your Pokémon dish out some moves and see who wins. Woo!”

Hala nodded as he held his belt. “I appreciate you being willing to take on my grandson here. I expect a no-holds-barred battle from the both of you!” Hau looked expectant.

“You will battle me, right? I know you will! Right?” Miguel grinned.

“Yeah, _y no perderé_!” He looked at his Rockruff with a determined look in his eyes. “Dante, come on! Let’s show him our power!” Dante barked as he went to his place in the area. Despite having never battled before and being on a low level, he seemed very determined to win. Hau grabbed his own pokéball from his pocket and threw it up in the air, crying out for his Pokémon. As soon as the Pokémon burst from the pokéball, Miguel knew he and Dante would have one hell of a problem. Hau’s starter was a Popplio, a water-type Pokémon, which had the advantage in their battle. Being a rock-type, Dante was naturally weak to water-types. He had to know which attacks Dante had and hope one of them was at least effective against Popplio. His best shot at the moment was attack and dodge. “Coco, give me the Pokédex!” he asked, feeling his heart thundering against his chest. Coco opened her purse and handed him the item. He quickly registered Dante’s information and checked his move pool. “Dante, use Bite!” he ordered.

“Popplio, dodge it!” Hau ordered back. Dante tried to run towards Popplio to bite it, but tripped on his own paws and ended up head-butting the seal instead. Both Pokémon took damage from the attack, although Dante took less damage than Popplio did. “Popplio, recover and use Water Gun!” _Oh no, that’s not good,_ Miguel thought.

“Dante, dodge it, quick!” He had to avoid water-type moves as much as he could. They would definitely cause more damage than normal-type moves. Thankfully Dante was conscious enough to avoid the attack on time, jumping back towards his trainer and eyeing Popplio in happiness. It seemed excited to be there. “Alright, use Bite again!” Dante charged against the Popplio and opened his mouth in hopes to crunch down on the seal. Hau was going to order his Pokémon to dodge again when he had an idea. Instead of doing that, he waited until the rock-type was close enough. Once Dante jumped up, ready to cling onto his Popplio, he let out his next order.

“Popplio, Water Gun!” Popplio immediately unleashed its attack onto the poor Rockruff that retreated almost immediately. The damage hadn’t been great, but it had been significant. His fur was wet now and he hated that.

“Come on, Dante, use Sand Attack!” For now, the best thing he could do was lower Popplio’s accuracy. If it couldn’t attack, it couldn’t damage them. Dante used his tail to throw sand at the seal’s eyes, preventing it from being able to see clearly and thus lowering its accuracy. “Now use Bite!” Now that Popplio couldn’t see properly, Dante had a chance of attacking. The rock-type ran up to the seal and bit on its tail, causing more damage than they thought was possible. “It was a critical hit! Perfecto, Dante!” Dante barked and returned to his trainer, happy that he could land a hit. “We’re not done yet, though! Come on, Dante, _en garde_.” Dante went back to his original spot. Popplio looked at Hau, wondering what its next course of action should be.

“Popplio, use Water Gun again!”

“Dodge it and use Tackle!” There was no need to dodge, however, because Popplio, not being able to see a thing due to the sand in its eyes, made a mistake and shot the water way to the left, mixing it with the ground and creating a small puddle of mud. Dante yipped as soon as he spotted the (according to him) playground, and he jumped on the newly-created mud, rolling around in joy. “Dante, come on, stop that! Use Bite again!” Still covered in mud, Dante charged against Popplio, preparing his next attack, but Hau was having none of it. His grandpa made him promise not to hold back, so he wasn’t going to!

“Popplio, use Water Gun one more time! Let’s win this!” Popplio did use Water Gun on the rock-type, and luckily it did not miss, but the attack proved itself to be ineffective and did not stop Dante, who bit Popplio again. “What? What happened? Water Gun should have made Rockruff stop!”

“It’s the mud!” Miguel pointed out. “Dante’s covered in mud, and it was used as a shield for the Water Gun. Come on, Dante, one final Tackle!”

“Water Gun!” Popplio tried to use Water Gun again, but the mud was once again used as a shield. Dante rammed against the seal, sending it flying. Once it hit the ground, it didn’t get up like before. “Popplio? Popplio!” Hau walked up to the seal and checked it. Once he made sure everything was okay, he returned Popplio back to its pokéball, tapping the button lightly against the Pokémon’s skin as it glowed. “You were great, friend. Thank you.” Once Popplio was back in its ball, he walked back to Miguel, who was showering Dante with praises, and said while jumping up and down in excitement, “Hoo-ee! That gave me chicken skin! Your Rockruff was awesome, Miguel!” Miguel smiled.

“Your Popplio was increíble too, Hau.”

“Now that settles it!” he decided. “I’m going all out tomorrow!” Miguel nodded before Dante licked his face again and he giggled. “Hey, is your Rockruff named Dante? Isn’t that Ernesto de la Cruz’s Lycanroc’s nickname?”

“I almost forgot he had a Lycanroc named Dante,” Coco piped up, shaking her head while petting Rosita. “You’re such a copycat, hermanito.”

“I can’t help loving Ernesto! I feel like we’re connected somehow,” he defended himself. “One day I’ll become the Island Challenge champion and I will meet him! It’s going to be destiny, I swear!”

“You dream way too much,” Coco sighed. “But I have a good feeling about this. You still have to convince mama, though. She won’t let you go easily.” Miguel groaned. He’d almost forgotten about his mom. She was the only one in the way of his dream of completing the Island Challenge. He sometimes wished his father was still around. If he were, she wouldn’t have this stupid idea of keeping him locked up in that house and perhaps his father would even encourage him to follow his dreams! His father _was_ a musician, after all, as well as a Pokémon trainer, and he went out to follow his dreams, even if it meant abandoning his family. Was he annoyed that his father wasn’t around and he hadn’t even met him? Yes, he was, but he was also okay with it. His father had chosen something more important to him than family, and that was okay… wasn’t it? Family didn’t have to be priority. Some things were just more important than family, like dreams! And Miguel knew his dream to become the Island Challenge champion was more important than making shoes. Would his mother listen to this, though? He doubted it. She had always been very adamant.

“Hm? Miguel… Would you be so kind as to give me a look at that sparkling stone you have there?”

“What? What sparkling stone?” He asked, before looking at his jacket’s pockets. “Oh, _this_?” He grabbed the stone Lillie had given him earlier and handed it to Hala, who analyzed it thoroughly, and then gasped in surprise.

“Could it be?!” Hau peeked at the stone in his grandfather’s hands and his eyes widened slightly at the sight.

“Tutu, isn’t that…?”

Hala lowered his gaze for a second before turning to Miguel again. “You were rescued by Tapu Koko at the bridge— isn’t that what I heard, Miguel?” The boy nodded.

“Lillie found that stone after it rescued me,” he explained further.

“So it even deigned to give you a stone…” Hala murmured, eyeing the sparkling stone one more time as he grabbed his belt. “Allow me to borrow this stone for now.” He put it on one of his pockets without hesitating. “Fret not! I’ll return it to you tomorrow evening.” Miguel nodded in understanding. In his head, Hala could keep that stone and he wouldn’t care. He didn’t have a reason to keep it, really. “It would seem that you have the makings of a fine trainer. You must do us the honor of joining in our festival tomorrow!” The boy’s eyes widened.

“The festival tomorrow? I wouldn’t miss it for the world!” He knew the festival. They celebrated it every year, and he loved it. Kukui went to Miguel’s sister’s side and put a hand on her shoulder.

“First I’ll make sure you two get back home safe today, though. Lillie, you two should come with us, too, yeah. Wouldn’t want to go losing you twice in one day. You or that precious Pokémon of yours!” Lillie nodded.

“Yes… I will keep an eye on…” She heard a sound coming from behind her as Nebby wandered around with a smile on its face. “Oh, you! Would you not try to escape the very moment that you were told not to wander off!” The others laughed. Yes, that would be an interesting day for all of them.

 

“Bye, professor Kukui!”

Miguel and Coco waved goodbye to Kukui and Lillie as they walked inside their home. Coco’s grip on her Rowlet tightened protectively. How would her mother react to a second Pokémon coming to their home? Would she make her get rid of her? She couldn’t! Coco was already attached to Rosita, like they were meant to be together after all of those years apart, and Rosita surely loved her too. They hadn’t spent a second apart ever since they chose each other in Iki Town. She couldn’t simply give her away now. Rosita was part of their familia, and, like their mama said, you never abandon your familia.

Once she heard the door open, Imelda put the pair of shoes she was making down and headed towards the front door to greet her children only to see her daughter carrying a Pokémon she didn’t previously have. It only took her one second to put two and two together, and once she did, she saw red. “What is the meaning of _this_?!” she demanded to know. Because she was the matriarch, Imelda could be quite intimidating to both friends and strangers, and she fear she caused would usually come in handy when it came to lies and telling the truth. Her kids weren’t able to lie for long under pressure and easily spilled their guts. She saw how Coco shifted uncomfortably and her grip on Rosita tightened even more, making the Rowlet gasp for air. Was she also planning on joining Miguel on his stupid Island Challenge dream to abandon her? How could she? Out of her two children, Coco had always been the reasonable one. For her to suddenly change her mind was unusual. Had Miguel convinced her somehow? What had happened? She needed to know _now_.

“Mama, this isn’t…” Coco sighed and put the Rowlet down, but she didn’t want to part ways with her trainer when she was in distress, and thus the owl flew to her trainer’s shoulder and planted herself there, rubbing her small body against the girl’s head. She giggled and remembered she still needed to explain her situation to her mother. “The Kahuna offered me a starter. I saw Rosita and I knew I needed to choose her. I’m already attached. Please, mama, don’t take her away.” Rosita cried out softly and looked at Imelda. Her trainer’s mama looked very intimidating. She seemed to be trapped in an eternal round of Scary Face.

“You know what I think about Pokémon, Coco.” Miguel bit his lip. He needed to help.

“But you have Pepita!” he protested.

“Pepita is a _vieja amiga_ from a long time ago, and she keeps you two in check.” Imelda gave her daughter a stern look. “I will not make you get rid of this búho, but, like I said before, don’t even think about joining that stupid Island Challenge.” Miguel puffed his cheeks. He wanted to know something. No… No, he _needed_ to know something.

“Why do you hate the Island Challenge so much?” Imelda shifted her gaze from Coco to him, and it was like being trapped by Mean Look.

“I will not have you abandon this family like that stupid man I once loved!” she yelled. “He walked away and never came back. He abandoned me, Coco, and you. Is that what you want? You want to abandon your own family to follow a stupid dream that will end one day? Is _that_ what you want?” Her words hurt. It was like being sliced by a blade. Imelda never dared talk about their father, and, when she did, it was always full of hatred. “This family will stay together. No one leaves.” Miguel narrowed his eyes. Why was his mother so adamant about this? The Island Challenge wasn’t what made their father leave. It was music. And she seemed to hate music as much as she hated the Island Challenge. One of those was somewhat justified, but the other wasn’t.

“Why don’t you understand? The Island Challenge is my dream!”

“That _is_ what you want, then. You want to be _forgotten_ like your father.”

“What? No! I would never—”

“Then _why_ do you want to complete that stupid Island Challenge?!” his mother bellowed, her voice tone rising. Dante whined, lowering his gaze. Imelda’s stare was almost enough to turn the Rockruff into dust.

“Because I want to get stronger!” Miguel cried out. “I want to battle with Dante and grow with him! I want to learn with him! I want us to learn together and become stronger together! I want to be like Ernesto de la Cruz!” Imelda narrowed her eyes as she approached her son, who took a step back to restore the distance between them. She crossed her arms, and Rosita cooed. She understood how dire the situation was at the moment, although she hadn’t expected it to escalate this quickly. Dante rubbed his body against his trainer’s in an act of comfort, and Miguel tried not to wince as the rocks in his neck pressed painfully against his leg.

“Do you really want to do the Island Challenge?” Imelda asked Miguel. “Is this what you _really_ want?” Miguel bit his inner cheek.

“Yes,” he finally answered.

“Then we’ll make a deal,” the woman proposed. “If you can defeat me in a Pokémon battle, you can do your stupid Island Challenge, but if I win, you _never_ speak of this again.” Miguel gaped. Who was this woman and what had she done to his mother? Imelda Rivera was proposing a Pokémon battle despite despising them? Miguel’s mind imploded. “So?” she asked again, reminding her son of the conditions.

“Y-you want to battle me?”

“Yes,” Imelda said. “And I will not lose.” Miguel thought about it. This was his only chance of joining the Island Challenge. Would he win? He sure hoped so.

“Deal.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who will win? Who will lose? Place your bets in the comments!


End file.
